1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hermetically sealed electric motor protectors.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Small sealed motor protector devices having a snap-acting, thermally responsive member acting as a switch element are well known in the art. Motor protectors of this type are generally provided with a snap-acting bimetallic member controlling one terminal of a normally closed switch which, upon being heated to a predetermined temperature, snaps to open the switch and cuts off current to the motor. A typical such motor protector is set forth in Canadian Patent No. 892,168 of Leith B. Young et al. which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Other prior art motor protectors are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,926 of Senor, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention as well as Klixon brand motor protectors sold by the assignee of the present invention and particularly models 4HM, 7896 and 7897. Such prior art motor protectors have provided reliable motor protection for a multiple of heat generating potential fault conditions, such as, for example, short circuits, overload, locked rotor and the like for many years. However, they have been relatively expensive to fabricate. One reason for this relatively high fabrication cost has been because a plane through the axis of the pins exiting prior art motor protector has been perpendicular to the plane of the snap acting element, this arrangement preventing the use of relatively economical fabrication techniques. Accordingly it is always desired to provide improvements to such motor protectors by way of decreased fabrication cost, improved performance or a combination thereof, preferably with a device which is completely interchangeable with the prior art motor protectors.